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Spain could be seeing start of coronavirus decline, mulls easing restrictions: PM

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Spaniards might be seeing the beginning of the coronavirus pandemic’s decline after new reported infections and deaths decreased, following a two-day uptick.

Prime Minister Pedro Sanchez offered a hopeful tone  before the national parliament on Thursday asking for its endorsement of a second two-week extension of Spain’s emergency lockdown.

Spain’s Prime Minister, Pedro Sanchez speaks at a parliamentary session in Madrid, Spain, Thursday. Sanchez acknowledged that Spain’s government, and its regions which administer health services, were caught off guard by the crisis and left its hospitals woefully short on critical supplies, including virus tests and protective clothing for medical workers.(Mariscal, Pool photo via AP)

“The fire starts to come under control… This war against the virus will be a total victory,” he said, according to Sky News.

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Health officials reported Thursday 5,756 new COVID-19 cases and 683 new deaths attributed to the virus over the previous 24-hour period. That is down compared to new 6,180 cases and 757 new deaths on Wednesday.

Volunteers, wearing face masks and gloves, distribute food bags at the “Dragones de Lavapies” soccer association in Madrid, Spain, Wednesday. Amid the coronavirus lockdown, volunteers meet at the soccer youth club to distribute food to hundreds of families at risk of social exclusion. (AP Photo/Bernat Armangue)

Spain remains one of the world’s hardest-hit countries alongside the United States and Italy. It has seen 152,446 infections and 15,238 fatalities since the start of the pandemic. More than 52,000 patients have recovered in Spain, easing pressure on its hospitals and health care system slightly.

“Europe reacted late. All of the West reacted late, and Spain is no exception,” Sanchez said, acknowledging that Spain’s government, and its regions, which administer health services, were caught off guard.

Like many countries, Spain is struggling to gauge the true extent of the virus outbreak due to a lag in testing the general population. Authorities recognized that several thousand elderly people have died in nursing homes without being tested.

Only deaths of people who have tested positive are being included in official statistics.

SPAIN COUPLE MARRIED 65 YEARS RECOVERING FROM CORONAVIRUS TOGETHER

Last month, Spain put in place some of the toughest measures in Europe to combat the spread of the virus – practically paralyzing the country. Officials said the measures helped to drastically cut the infection rate.

An empty street as the lockdown continues to combat the spread of coronavirus in downtown Madrid, Spain, Thursday. The new coronavirus causes mild or moderate symptoms for most people, but for some, especially older adults and people with existing health problems, it can cause more severe illness or death. (AP Photo/Manu Fernandez)

This week, Budget Minister Maria Jesus Montero said Spaniards will progressively regain their “normal life” from April 26 onward but warned that the “de-escalation” of the lockdown will be “very orderly to avoid a return to the contagion.”

The government has been tight-lipped about what measures could be in place once the confinement is relaxed, stressing that they will be dictated by experts.

In his request to parliament Thursday, Sanchez asked lawmakers to back a new economic reconstruction plan, the BBC reported.

“I propose a great pact for the economic and social reconstruction of Spain. For all the political forces who want to lend their shoulder to take part,” said Sanchez, who leads a left-wing coalition government.

SEVERAL EUROPEAN COUNTRIES TO RELAX CORONAVIRUS LOCKDOWN MEASURES AS ASIA TIGHTENS UP AMID NEW WAVE

The prime minister is the latest European leader to suggest the pandemic may be stabilizing in the region.

Italian Premier Giuseppe Conte is expected to announce in the coming days how long the country’s lockdown will remain in place. Discussions are focused first on opening more of the country’s industries.

A view of the empty Piazza di Spagna, at the foot of the Spanish Steps, following the coronavirus lockdown measures, in Rome, Thursday. The new coronavirus causes mild or moderate symptoms for most people, but for some, especially older adults and people with existing health problems, it can cause more severe illness or death. (AP Photo/Karl Ritter)

Proposals being floated in Italy include issuing immunity certificates, which would require antibody blood tests, and allowing younger workers to return first, as they are less vulnerable to the virus.

Without giving specifics, French authorities are likewise speaking openly about planning the end of the country’s confinement, which is set to expire April 15, but will be extended, according to the president’s office.

EUROPE BEGINS TO FLATTEN THE CURVE, SHOWS US THE WAY IN FIGHT AGAINST CORONAVIRUS

Meanwhile, Austria and the Czech Republic jumped ahead of other European countries earlier this week and announced plans to relax some restrictions.

Starting Thursday, Czech stores selling construction materials, hobby supplies and bicycles can reopen. Only grocery stores, pharmacies and garden stores are up and running. The reopened businesses will have to offer customers disinfectant and disposable gloves, and enforce social distancing.

Austria will begin reopening small shops, hardware stores, and garden centers Tuesday, and shopping malls and hair salons could follow two weeks later. People will have to wear face masks.

In the United Kingdom, government officials said there is little chance the nationwide lockdown there will be eased when its current period ends next week.

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Worldwide, nearly 1.5 million people were infected and around 90,000 have died, according to Johns Hopkins University. More than 337,000 patients have recovered worldwide.

The true numbers are almost certainly much higher, because of limited testing, different rules for counting the dead and concealment by some governments.

The Associated Press contributed to this report.

Who is Bill de Blasio? Here are some things to know about New York City’s mayor

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New York City Mayor Bill de Blasio has been involved in local politics for nearly two decades, but has seen his national profile rise in recent years through his short-lived 2020 presidential campaign and his handling of the coronavirus crisis.

The 58-year-old Manhattan-born, Cambridge, Mass.-raised politician held his first seat in public office when he was elected to the New York City Council, representing the 39th District in Brooklyn in 2002.

He held the post until 2009 and then went on to serve one term as a public advocate before he was elected to mayor of the Big Apple in 2013. He was reelected in 2017.

New York City Mayor Bill de Blasio speaks at the USTA Indoor Training Center where a 350-bed temporary hospital will be built Tuesday, March 31, 2020, in New York. The new coronavirus causes mild or moderate symptoms for most people, but for some, especially older adults and people with existing health problems, it can cause more severe illness or death. (AP Photo/Frank Franklin II)

Currently, de Blasio’s handling of the coronavirus outbreak in his city has been called into question as he has been overshadowed by his rival in the governor’s office, New York Gov. Andrew Cuomo.

DAS BLAST DE BLASIO AS VIOLENT OFFENDERS SET FOR RELEASE FROM RIKERS DESPITE MAYOR’S PROMISE

Here are some things to know about de Blasio:

He was born Warren Wilhelm Jr.

The mayor wasn’t officially “Bill de Blasio” until January 2002 when he changed his name not too long after becoming a member of the New York City Council. It was not the first time he changed his identity, according to the New York Daily News.

De Blasio was named after his father, Warren Wilhelm Sr., but decided to change it the first time in 1983 to Warren de Blasio-Wilhelm, to honor his mother’s Italian heritage. His mother’s maiden name was Maria Angela de Blasio.

In the early 1990s, he began using the name Bill de Blasio and officially changed it after a judge’s approval in 2002.

Racked in the cash — and got fined for it

In de Blasio’s first mayoral race, he received nearly $10.6 million in contributions, which — according to the New York City Campaign Finance Board — were made in an average of $862 contributions. For his most recent mayoral campaign, he received $12,400 from liberal megadonor George Soros and his sons, Robert and Alexander.

However, in 2016, de Blasio was fined nearly $48,000 by the city’s campaign finance board for failing to report transactions, accepting over-the-limit contributions and taking contributions from unregistered political committees.

Ran in the 2020 presidential campaign

Just two years into his second term as New York City’s mayor, de Blasio set his eyes on higher office, throwing his hat into the heavily crowded 2020 Democrat presidential primary race.

“As president, I will take on the wealthy, I will take on the big corporations. I will not rest until this government serves working people,” he said in a campaign kickoff video. “Donald Trump must be stopped. I’ve beaten him before, and I will do it again.”

De Blasio’s attempt to challenge to become the Democratic Party’s nomination fell short and a few short months later, he dropped out of the 2020 race.

Coronavirus response has been filled with missteps

As the growing COVID-19 pandemic continues to take root in other parts of the world, the United States tracked the warning signs of the same spike on American soil.

According to Politico, New York City Health Commissioner Oxirir Barbot urged de Blasio to begin taking more drastic action to control the spread of the deadly virus.

FILE – In this Wednesday, Feb. 26, 2020, file photo, Mayor Bill de Blasio, left, with Dr. Oxiris Barbot, commissioner of the New York City Department of Health and Mental Hygiene, reports on the city’s preparedness for the potential spread of the coronavirus in New York. De Blasio implored the federal government Thursday, March 5, to send more coronavirus test kits as the city confirmed two more COVID-19 cases, both in hospitalized patients with no known travel history or personal connections linking them to the virus. (AP Photo/Mark Lennihan, File)

The mayor resisted, believing that closing restaurants, schools and cultural centers would cripple the city’s economy and disproportionately hurt the city’s marginalized residents. Instead, he urged people to go out to go to bars, “because we don’t know what the future holds.”

He kept schools open for days despite parents, teachers and members of his own administration urging him to close them.

Amid this inaction, Cuomo took the reins for the state’s response, issuing — along with the governors of Connecticut and New Jersey — a tri-state mandate that closed all nonessential businesses and urged residents to stay home. Public schools were also closed.

Hours before the mandate would take effect on March 16, de Blasio took part in his near-daily ritual of an 11-mile drive to the Prospect Park YMCA for a workout.

New York Gov. Andrew Cuomo speaks during a news conference alongside the National Guard at the Jacob Javits Center that will house a temporary hospital in response to the COVID-19 outbreak, Monday, March 23, 2020, in New York.  (AP Photo/John Minchillo)

The mayor’s response to the virus has pitted him against Cuomo, who has been hailed a hero by some.

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Since the first reported case in New York on March 1, the state has become the epicenter of the virus in the United States, with most of the infections and deaths being reported in New York City.

Earlier this week, de Blasio tried to brush off the criticism of his actions during the outbreak, telling CNN: “We should not be focusing, in my view, on anything looking back on any level of government right now. This is just about how we save lives going forward.”

US Catholic bishops ease Lent obligations on eating meat amid coronavirus

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Some Catholic bishops in the United States are easing the obligations of faithful for the last remaining Fridays during Lent amid the ongoing coronavirus pandemic.

During Lent – a period of about six weeks in which Christians all over the world practice self-denial and sacrifice as they repent their sins and pray in preparation for Easter – refrain from eating meat on Fridays, including on Good Friday.

In light of the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic that has killed more than 28,000 people worldwide, Catholic bishops, in New Jersey, Massachusetts, Lousiana, and Pittsburgh are relieving their congregations of the obligation of abstaining from meat for the remaining Fridays in Lent – except on Good Friday.

Parishioner Maria Torres, of Des Moines, Iowa, prays the Rosary in an empty St. Anthony’s Catholic Church, Friday, March 27, 2020, in Des Moines, Iowa. Daily masses continue to be available online in response to the new coronavirus outbreak but the church is open daily for private prayers. 
(AP)

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They said it’s because the faithful are already deprived of some foods and other pleasures during the coronavirus pandemic. Good Friday is on April 3 and Easter is on Sunday, April 12.

“Given the difficulties of obtaining some types of food and the many other sacrifices which we are suddenly experiencing given the coronavirus, I have granted a dispensation from abstaining from meat on Fridays for rest of Len, except Good Friday, which is universal law,” New Jersey’s the Most Rev. James F. Checchio, Bishop of Metuchen, said on the diocese’s Twitter account Thursday.

WHAT IS LENT?

Meanwhile, the Most Rev. Peter J. Uglietto in Boston, Mass., issued a similar message on Thursday.

He said in a statement on the archdiocese’s website that Catholics’ plans for Lent have been “greatly impacted” by the coronavirus health crisis and in light of that, Cardinal Sean O’Malley has allowed them to eat meat for the remaining Fridays as well.

“One of the effects of the current events is uncertainty regarding what food products are available on any given day. At this time, we are called to make the best of what we have at hand or is available for purchase,” Uglietto continued. “Many people are using what they have stored in their freezers and on their shelves. Others are depending upon pre-packaged meals or food delivered through support agencies, which are providing an important service for individuals and families in our communities, especially for children and our senior citizens.”

The Rev. César Vega sets up a tablet to livestream Mass to home-bound congregants Friday, March 27, 2020, at Holy Family Catholic Church in Yakima, Wash.
(Amanda Ray/Yakima Herald-Republic via AP)

He added: “The Cardinal encourages those who can partake of this traditional Lenten practice of abstention to do so and to offer it up for those who are suffering in any way from the pandemic we are experiencing.”

CATHOLIC ARCHDIOCESE OF LOS ANGELES CLOSING CHURCHES DUE TO CORONAVIRUS

In Louisiana, the Rev. Shelton J. Fabre of Terrebonne and Lafourche parishes said Thursday that parishioners did not have to give up meat on Friday because coronavirus has “obtaining food, including meal alternatives from meat, the rising cost of fish and other forms of seafood, and even the challenge of being able to obtain groceries without endangering their health, make it clearly difficult for them to fulfill this practice.”

Fabre, however, encouraged the faithful to continue to give up meat on Fridays, if they could.

“I am being mindful of this and have our people’s best interest in my heart.  Nevertheless, I am also aware that these Fridays of Lent will remain as days of penance and prayer,” he wrote on the diocese’s website. “Therefore, for those who are able to keep this practice, I encourage you to continue fulfilling this obligation for your spiritual benefits and the good of the Church.”

Rev. Micah Muhlen, OFM, prays prior to a modest and shortened service at St. Mary’s Roman Catholic Basilica, attended by very few parishioners due to the coronavirus, Sunday, March 22, 2020, in Phoenix. (AP Photo/Ross D. Franklin)

The Most Rev. David Zubik, the bishop of Pittsburgh, dispensed from the obligation to abstained from meat on Lenten Fridays this week, saying: “As you are aware, many of the shelves and cases in our supermarkets are sparse if not empty. This is a time when pastoral necessity has informed my decision effective today.”

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More than 600,000 people have been infected with coronavirus worldwide, prompting governments to place about one-third of the world’s population under strict travel restrictions.

In the U.S, more than 104,000 people have tested positive for COVID-19 – the highest infection tally in the world. At least 1,709 people have died in the U.S. and nearly 900 have recovered.

Spain’s coronavirus death toll surges past China

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Spain surged past China to now have the world’s second-highest tally of coronavirus deaths after seeing a 738 spike overnight — its highest so far in one day.

With at least 3,434 fatalities since the COVID-19 outbreak, the Iberian nation now has a death toll that is more than half of Italy’s, which as of Wednesday morning stood at 6,820.

Spain’s Ministry of Health announced on Wednesday a 20 percent spike in infections from a day earlier, to at least 47,610. More than 5,000 people have recovered, officials said.

People walk past a poster that reads ‘I want you to stay home’, by artist TvBoy amid a lockdown in Barcelona, Spain, Tuesday, March 24, 2020. 
(AP)

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“(It’s) an increase equivalent to the one we saw in the last days, and lower than the ones we were observing last week,” said Fernando Simon, director of the Center for Coordination of Sanitation Emergencies, according to El Pais. “These increases are variable to the different communities, but the evolution of the epidemic in which we are approaching the peak does not go hand-in-hand with the overload in the hospital system, because it takes a few days from the first symptoms.”

Spain now stands behind China – where the virus was first detected late last year – Italy and the United States for most coronavirus infections.

According to data collected by Johns Hopkins University, China has seen more than 81,660 infections, while Italy had at least 69,176 as of Wednesday morning. The United States is closing in fast with more than 55,225 infections.

SPAIN TO PROBE BODIES FOUND ABANDONED IN SENIOR HOMES AS ICE RINK BECOMES CORONAVIRUS MAKESHIFT MORGUE

The coronavirus outbreak in Spain has put a tragic strain on its health care system, forcing officials to convert hotels into makeshift hospitals. An ice rink in Madrid was turned into a morgue after funeral homes in the Spanish capital became overwhelmed with the rising death toll.

A patient, center, is transferred to a medicalized hotel during the COVID-19 outbreak in Madrid, Spain, Tuesday, March 24, 2020. 
(AP)

More than 3,100 people are currently hospitalized under intensive care, according to the El Pais newspaper.

The Spanish government declared a state of emergency earlier this month, which effectively locked down the country and confined residents to their homes in a bid to slow the virus’ spread.

US COUPLE QUARANTINED IN SPAIN HOTEL AMID CORONAVIRUS SAY IT COULD BE A LOT WORSE

Spain’s interior minister revealed Tuesday that police have arrested at least 929 people for disobeying the declaration.

A poster reading in Spanish the hashtag “#IstayAtHome” hangs in windowshop of a closed shop in downtown Madrid, Spain, Tuesday, March 24, 2020. More than 1.5 billion around the world have been told to stay in their homes.
(AP)

Fernando Grande-Marlaska told reporters at a news conference that more than 130 of the arrests happened that day alone, El Pais reported.

Meanwhile, prosecutors announced this week they were investigating claims that bodies of elderly people were found abandoned inside senior residence homes.

Spain’s prime minister is said to be asking the country’s parliament to extend the state of emergency to April 11.

Graham Keeley and The Associated Press contributed to this report.

Iran sees biggest single-day spike in coronavirus deaths, as toll surpasses 1,135

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Iran’s coronavirus cover-up

Iran has the fourth-highest death toll from coronavirus in the world but many analysts suspect the numbers of cases and deaths are much higher than the country is willing to report.

A 15 percent spike in the coronavirus death toll in Iran overnight Tuesday marked the country’s single biggest 24-hour rise since officials first acknowledged COVID-19 cases in mid-February.

Officials said Wednesday that another 147 people have died, meaning at least 1,135 people are dead nationwide.

In this photo taken on Tuesday, March 17, 2020, a shopkeeper waits for customer as a woman wearing a face mask to help protect against the new coronavirus, walks at the Tehran’s Grand Bazaar, Iran. (AP Photo/Vahid Salemi)

Meanwhile, the number of cases continues to grow, with about 17,361 infections across the Islamic Republic, the deputy health minister, Alireza Raisi, said in a briefing.

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Health officials have urged the public to avoid travel and crowded places, but some food markets in the capital of Tehran still were packed on Wednesday. Highways were crowded as families traveled in anticipation of the Persian New Year, Nowruz, a normally joyous holiday that begins Friday.

In this Tuesday photo, a shopkeeper wearing a face mask and gloves, to help protect against the new coronavirus, center, talks with his customer at the Tehran’s Grand Bazaar, Iran. The new coronavirus ravaging Iran is cutting into celebrations marking the Persian New Year, known as Nowruz. (AP Photo/Vahid Salemi)

Raisi criticized people for not adhering to the warnings. “This is not a good situation at all,” he said, imploring people to stay home.

The total number of confirmed cases of coronavirus worldwide surpassed 200,000 on Wednesday, according to Johns Hopkins University. The death toll topped 8,000.

The Johns Hopkins Center for Systems Science and Engineering’s online tally also showed more than 82,000 people have recovered.

Iran is among the worst-hit countries. It is only surpassed by China, where the virus was first detected. Italy, Spain and Germany round out the five worst-hit countries.

CORONAVIRUS: WHAT DO YOU NEED TO KNOW

Iran’s President Hassan Rouhani on Wednesday defended his government’s response to the coronavirus outbreak in the face of widespread criticism that officials acted too slowly and may have covered up initial cases.

In this photo released by the official website of the Office of the Iranian Presidency, President Hassan Rouhani attends a cabinet meeting in Tehran, Iran, Wednesday, March 18, 2020. (Office of the Iranian Presidency via AP)

In a speech to his Cabinet, Rouhani said the government was “straightforward” with the nation, saying it announced the outbreak as soon as it learned about it on Feb. 19.

“We spoke to people in a honest way. We had no delay,” he added.

The country announced it would close mosques for communal Friday prayers for a third consecutive week. Other Muslim countries, including Saudi Arabia, Kuwait, and the United Arab Emirates have also canceled Friday prayers in mosques.

“It was difficult of course to shut down mosques and holy sites, but we did it. It was a religious duty to do it,” Rouhani said.

CORONAVIRUS CASES TOP 200,000 WORLDWIDE, DEATH TOLL PASSES 8,000

Elsewhere in the region, the number of cases continues to grow, though not as dramatically as seen in Iran.

In Israel, the Health Ministry said 90 more people have tested positive, bringing the country’s overall tally to 427. The rise comes a day after authorities issued new guidelines that put Israelis in near-shutdown mode – including using the Shin Bet internal security service to deploy phone surveillance technology to curb the spread of the virus.

In a nationwide address Tuesday night, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu warned of catastrophic consequences if people don’t follow safety instructions.

“This is a huge crisis. We are only at the start of the campaign,” he said.

In Iraq – which has seen 11 deaths among 154 confirmed cases – a weeklong curfew went into effect in Baghdad where streets were largely empty and most shops were closed. Only pedestrians were allowed on the streets to buy necessary food and medicine. Armed Iraqi police were patrolling the city and setting up roadblocks.

IRAN RELEASES 85,000 INMATES AS CORONAVIRUS SWEEPS THROUGH PRISONS: ‘WE’RE ALL ILL’

In Egypt, authorities started to close shops to encourage people to stay at home. Coffee shops and restaurants were shuttered on Wednesday in Cairo, a city of over 20 million, while plain-clothed security forces urged people to go home.

“I am financially ruined, how can I earn my living now,” said Mohammed Gamal, a worker in a coffee shop that was shut down.

Egypt, which has reported nearly 200 cases and six deaths from the virus, has suspended flights, closed schools, is quarantining more than 300 families in a Nile Delta village, and imposed a lockdown in the Red Sea resort town of Hurghada.

In Pakistan, Foreign Minister Shah Mahmood Qureshi, who this week visited China along with the country’s president Arif Alvi, said he is protectively quarantining himself on his physician’s advice.

The Associated Press contributed to this report.

Putin asks court to amend constitution, allow him to remain in power until 2036

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Russian President Vladimir Putin has formally asked the country’s consitutional court to approve an amendment that could allow him to remain in power for another 16 years.

Earlier this week, the 67-year-old Putin, who has dominated Russia’s political landscape for two decades as either president or prime minister, made an appearance in parliament to back an amendment that would allow him to ignore a constitutional ban on him running again in 2024.

On Wednesday, both houses of parliament overwhelmingly backed the changes that could keep Putin in power until 2035 if he won and completed two more terms as president.

RUSSIAN LAWMAKERS APPROVE CHANGES TO LET PUTIN STAY IN POWER UNTIL 2036

The move would make him ruler of Russia for 36 years – the longest tenure in the country’s modern history. He is currently the longest-serving leader since Josef Stalin.

The Kremlin said in a statement Saturday that Putin had signed off on the constitutional changes. However, now Russia’s constitutional court must now rule whether the changes are legal ahead of a planned nationwide vote on the amendments to the constitution planned for April 22.

Under the current law, Putin would not be able to run for president again in 2024 because of term limits. The new measure would effectively reset his term count to zero, allowing him to fun for two more six-year terms.

FORMER AMBASSADOR JON HUNTSMAN JR. SAYS RUSSIA ‘SHAKING IN THEIR BOOTS’ AS OIL PRICES TANK

A former KGB officer, Putin served two presidential terms in 2000-2008 before shifting to the Russian prime minister’s office while protégé Dmitry Medvedev served as a placeholder president.

He reclaimed the presidency in 2012 and won another election in 2018.

Russian President Vladimir Putin speaks during a session prior to voting for constitutional amendments at the State Duma, the Lower House of the Russian Parliament in Moscow, Russia, Tuesday, March 10, 2020. Putin says he supports a proposed constitutional amendment that would allow him to seek another term and remain in power. Putin gave his support Tuesday to the amendment put forward by a lawmaker who as a Soviet cosmonaut became the first woman to fly to space.(Alexei Nikolsky, Sputnik, Kremlin Pool Photo via AP)

During his appearance in parliament on Tuesday, Putin – who has not said whether he will run again in 2024 – said Russia needs stability above all.

“The president is a guarantor of security of our state, its internal stability, and evolutionary development,” he said. “We have had enough revolutions.”

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A series of constitutional amendments Putin proposed in January was widely seen by Kremlin foes as part of his efforts to stay in power. However, it wasn’t clear until Tuesday how Putin could achieve this goal.

Other constitutional changes further strengthen the presidency and emphasize the priority of Russian law over international norms. The changes also outlaw same-sex marriage and mention “a belief in God” as one of Russia’s traditional values.

Fox News’ Morgan Phillips and The Associated Press contributed to this report.

South African king goes on ax rampage in palace, targets regent son

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The nephew of the late Nelson Mandela – who happens to be a South African king – was arrested after allegedly going on an ax rampage in the palace, reports claim.

Buyelekhaya Dalindyebo reportedly broke into the Thembu royal palace early Friday morning searching for his son, the regent, the BBC reported.

Dalindyebo’s son, Azensthi Zanelizwe Dalindyebo, had been acting as king while his father was serving a 12-year prison sentence for kidnapping, assault, and arson.

King Buyelekhaya Dalindyebo, the nephew of the late Nelson Mandela, was arrested for allegedly attacking his family in the palace. AFP PHOTO / STRINGER (Photo credit should read -/AFP via Getty Images)

He only served a third of his sentence and released in December 2019 after President Cyril Ramaphosa granted some prisoners early parole.

RARE WHITE GIRAFFES SLAUGHTERED BY POACHERS IN KENYA

A royal spokesman said Azensthi and his wife were targeted in the early-morning attack. The regent escaped through a window, but his wife was injured and subsequently taken to a hospital, the BBC reported.

“He was carrying weapons such as (an) ax, a machete and also a crowbar,” royal spokesman Prince Siganyeko Dalindyebo told public broadcaster SABC. “He managed to break a window from the sitting room of the main house.”

The palace – known as Bumbane Great Palace – is located outside the town of Mthatha in Eastern Cape Province.

“As he was moving up the stairs looking for the acting king, some people managed to distract him and then the acting king managed to jump out of a window, running for safety,” the prince continued. “He has wreaked havoc in the palace … he started ransacking the king’s room, all confidential documents – threw them around.”

WHY DO SOME COUNTRIES STILL HAVE NEXT TO NO RECORDED OUTBREAKS OF CORONAVIRUS?

According to reports, since his release last year, there has been tension in the Thembu royal family and has actually refused to see his son.

The royal household decided the regent should continue on for at least another year, South Africa’s City Press paper reported earlier this year.

South Africa has officially recognized seven monarchs that represent different ethnic groups and clans.

Dalindyebo, 56, is a member of the Thembu clan, to which his uncle Mandela, South Africa’s first black president, belonged.

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According to local report, Dalindeybo was released on a warning. Police are investigating the incident.

Iran’s coronavirus death toll tops 600 as Middle Eastern countries step up containment measures

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Iran’s coronavirus cover-up

Iran has the fourth-highest death toll from coronavirus in the world but many analysts suspect the numbers of cases and deaths are much higher than the country is willing to report.

The coronavirus outbreak has killed at least another 97 people in Iran, pushing the country’s death toll past 600 and triggering new limits on people’s movements.

Iran is the epicenter of the COVID-19 pandemic in the Middle East, with more than 12,700 confirmed infections – including several senior government officials testing positive.

A spokesman for Iran’s Health Ministry announced on state TV that the new death toll is at 611, while at the same time revealing “some new restrictions” on movement in and out of cities.

Firefighters prepare their fogging machines to disinfect a street against the new coronavirus as people watch, in western Tehran, Iran, Friday, March 13, 2020. The new coronavirus outbreak has reached Iran’s top officials, with its senior vice president, Cabinet ministers, members of parliament, Revolutionary Guard members and Health Ministry officials among those infected. The vast majority of people recover from the new coronavirus. (AP Photo/Vahid Salemi)

Minister Saeed Namaki did not elaborate on the new measures.

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Iran has suspended schools and banned spectators from stadiums, but religious shrines remain open. The streets and markets are still crowded in the capital, Tehran, which has been the hardest hit by the virus.

There are concerns that the number of infections in Iran is much higher than the confirmed cases reported by the government.

“Nobody believes the numbers coming out of Tehran,” Matthew Schmidt, national security and political science expert at the University of New Haven, told Fox News. “It may well be that Iran is now the epicenter of the outbreak. The government has and continues to misreport the number of cases and deaths. But this is due as much to incompetence as a cover-up.”

CORONAVIRUS: WHAT YOU NEED TO KNOW

Elsewhere in the region, United Arab Emirates on Saturday shut down major tourism and cultural venues, including the Louvre Abu Dhabi museum and Ferrari World theme park, through the end of March.

Dubai, the UAE’s regional business and transit hub, said it was canceling all events planned in March and asked hotels not to host wedding celebrations during this period.

A trader walks at the Dubai Financial Market in Dubai, United Arab Emirates, Thursday, March 12, 2020. Regional stock markets were down, reflecting investor concerns and nerves felt globally as oil prices plunge and tourism revenue is eroded by the virus. The World Health Organization on Wednesday officially designated the outbreak a “pandemic.” (AP Photo/Kamran Jebreili)

Gulf Arab states have stepped up measures to contain the coronavirus outbreak with various measures.

Saudi Arabia suspended all international flights for two weeks starting Sunday, while Kuwait locked down its airports to similar flights on Saturday.

The Gulf nation of Oman announced it would close all schools and educational facilities for one month.

CORONAVIRUS CASES SPIKE IN MIDDLE EAST, MOST CASES LINKED TO IRAN

There have been no reported deaths in the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC), a group of six oil-rich Arab monarchies that also include Qatar and Bahrain. They have reported nearly 850 coronavirus cases so far, mostly involving people who have traveled to Iran or who were infected by them.

In Syria, the government announced a series of precautionary measures, including closing schools and universities until April 2.

Following a cabinet meeting Friday night, the government also said it was reducing working hours in public institutions and canceling all cultural and sporting events, and all other events involving large gatherings, for the time being.

Syria also says it has taken preventive measures at all ports and border crossings. The country has suspended travel with neighboring countries Iraq and Jordan, and it has halted religious tourism for a month.

The Associated Press contributed to this report.

Spain set to announce lockdown as coronavirus cases spike; planes turned around midair

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Spain is set to announce an Italian-style countrywide lockdown Saturday after a dramatic spike in coronavirus cases.

Ahead of the announcement, airplanes on their way to the Iberian Peninsula dramatically turned around midair.

A woman wears a face mask as she walks in front of a closed restaurant in downtown Madrid, Spain, Saturday, March 14, 2020. Spanish Prime Minister Pedro Sanchez said his government will declare a two-week state of emergency on Saturday, giving itself extraordinary powers including the mobilization of the armed forces, to confront the COVID-19 outbreak. For some, especially older adults and people with existing health problems, it can cause more severe illness, including pneumonia. (AP Photo/Manu Fernandez)

Low-cost airline Jet2, which is based at nine airports in the United Kingdom, halted all fights with immediate effect to mainland Spain after the country saw cases rise by more than 1,500 to more than 5,700.

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“In response to local measures introduced throughout Spain to prevent the spread of COVID-19, including the closure of bars, restaurants, shops, and activities including any water sports, we have taken the decision to cancel all flights to Mainland Spain, the Balearic Islands, and the Canary Islands with immediate effect,” the airline said in a statement.

This move forced flights already on their way to Spain to turn back midflight, according to Sky News.

“We know these local measures will have a significant impact on our customers’ holidays, which is why we have taken this decision,” the airline’s statement continued, adding: “The health and safety of our customers is our number one priority, and we would like to thank our customers for understanding.”

A shows a Spanish basque newspaper with breaking news of coronavirus, ‘’Alarm for everybody’’, in Pamplona, northern Spain, Saturday, March 14, 2020. Spanish Government announced yesterday the alarm state for the whole country. For most people, the new COVID-19 coronavirus causes only mild or moderate symptoms, such as fever and cough, but for some, especially older adults and people with existing health problems, it can cause more severe illness, including pneumonia. (AP Photo/Alvaro Barrientos)

The decision by Jet2 Airline comes as the World Health Organization (WHO) declared Europe to be the new epicenter of the coronavirus epidemic after seeing “more reported cases and deaths than the rest of (the) world combined apart from China.”

EUROPE IS CORONAVIRUS EPIDEMIC EPICENTER AS CASES SURGE: WHO

“More cases are now being reported every day than were reported in China at the height of its epidemic,” WHO director-general Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus said Friday night.

In Europe, the hardest-hit country is Italy, with more than 1,000 deaths and more than 17,600 infections overall.

Spain is the second most-affected European country and has seen more than 132 deaths. Health officials said Saturday coronavirus infections have reached 5,753 people, of which almost 3,000 are in the capital of Madrid.

That represents a national increase of more than 1,500 in 24 hours.

CORONAVIRUS: WHAT YOU NEED TO KNOW

Spanish Prime Minister Pedro Sanchez is expected to declare a state of emergency on Saturday, effectively locking down the country in an effort to contain the outbreak. The lockdown will reportedly start Monday at 8 a.m. local time, local media reported.

A man wearing a mask walks past empty shelves in a meat market in Barcelona, Spain, Saturday, March 14, 2020. Spain’s prime minister has announced a two-week state of emergency from Saturday in a bid to contain the new coronavirus outbreak. For most people, the new coronavirus causes only mild or moderate symptoms. For some, it can cause more severe illness, especially in older adults and people with existing health problems. (AP Photo/Emilio Morenatti)

Residents in Madrid and northeast Catalonia woke up Saturday to shuttered bars and restaurants while other nonessential commercial outlets were closed by regional authorities.

The Madrid government told Spaniards to stay home except to buy food or medicine, go to the hospital, go to work or other emergencies, according to a draft decree seen by Reuters.

According to El Pais, the new decree draft stated that “the head of the Interior Ministry will be able to impose the closure of freeways or sections of the same for reasons of public health, safety or movement of traffic, or the restriction of determined vehicles to them for the same seasons.”

Sanchez is expected to roll out the restrictions throughout Saturday.

A state of emergency allows the central government to limit free movement, legally confiscate goods and take over control of industries and private facilities, including private hospitals. It’s only the second time that the government has evoked it since the return of democracy in the late 1970s. The other was declared during a 2010 air traffic controllers’ strike.

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Earlier this week, President Donald Trump announced that travel from Europe would be restricted for 30 days – although the U.K. and Ireland are not included.

The Department of Homeland security clarified that it affects most foreign nationals who were in Europe’s passport-free “Schengen Area” within 14 days prior to traveling to the U.S.

On Friday, Trump declared a national emergency for the U.S.

Fox News’ Adam Shaw and the Associated Press contributed to this report.

New Zealand announces ‘world’s toughest border restrictions’ to fight coronavirus

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New Zealand will now require anyone arriving in the Pacific country – including Kiwis themselves – to isolate themselves for 14 days in an effort to stop the spread of the novel coronavirus.

Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern said the new rules, which begin from midnight Sunday local time, will mean New Zealand will have the world’s toughest restrictions yet.

New Zealand Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern addresses a press conference in Christchurch, New Zealand.
(AP)

“Cabinet made far-reaching and unprecedented decisions today because these are unprecedented circumstances,” Ardern said, according to Radio NZ.

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The countries exempt from the restrictions are a handful of Pacific islands that haven’t yet had any cases of COVID-19.

New Zealand has had only six confirmed cases of the illness. All of those have been connected with international travelers and there have been no signs of any local outbreaks.

“This decision will mean New Zealand will have the widest-ranging and toughest border restrictions of any country in the world,” Ardern added, adding they are encouraging Kiwis to avoid non-essential travel overseas to “reduce the risk of a New Zealander bringing COVID-19 in.”

She continued: “We do not take these decisions lightly, we know these travel restrictions will place a significant strain on the aviation industry and we anticipate some routes will reduce or cease for a period of time.”

EUROPE IS CORONAVIUS PANDEMIC EPICENTER AS CASES SURGE: WHO

The measures will be reviewed in 16 days.

Officials acknowledged the new measures will have a big impact on the country’s tourism industry, which provides New Zealand’s largest single source of foreign income.

Countries around the world are grappling with the widespread epidemic of coronavirus, which has seen more than 140,000 cases in 123 countries since it first emerged in late December in the Chinese city of Wuhan.

Outside of China, the two most-affected countries were Italy and Iran.

CORONAVIRUS: WHAT YOU NEED TO KNOW

On Friday, the World Health Organization (WHO) said Europe was the new epicenter of the pandemic “with more reported cases and deaths than the rest of (the) world combined apart from China.”

“More cases are now being reported every day than were reported in China at the height of its epidemic,” Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus, the WHO director-general, said Friday night.

The Associated Press contributed to this report.